South Africa Wildlife

Highlights of the wildlife of south africa

If anyone was in any doubt as to why South Africa draws more visitors to its shores than any other destination in Sub-Saharan Africa, they need look no further than the impressive diversity of landscapes and wildlife safaris on offer.

Whether you want to swim with penguins on Boulders Beach or walk with lions in Kruger National Park, we can put you in the right place at the right time to maximise your enjoyment of this incredible country and its many wonders.

Incredible Wildlife

With a coastline that spans from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean with mountains, coastal forests on the eastern coast, semi-arid wilderness deserts of the Kalahari in the northwest and everything else between, the variety of natural attractions and wildlife here will not disappoint. Most people will be looking to include the world-renowned Kruger National Park, the flagship of South Africa’s wildlife safari parks and a dramatic landscape covering 2 million hectares that is rich in prides of lion, herds of elephant, as well as the remaining members of the ‘Big Five’: rhino, leopard and buffalo. Different regions of Kruger appeal for different reasons; Sabi Sand Game Reserve for example is known for its combination of luxurious safari camps on prime game viewing land, with a formidable number of animals, with leopard sightings also fairly frequent.

Other animals you are likely to see include zebra, antelope, wildebeest, giraffe, but there is so much more beyond this, with 336 tree species, 49 fish species, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals in total.

Other Highlights

Elsewhere, the Garden Route is a popular natural haven and picturesque stretch of coastline that winds its way from cosmopolitan Cape Town to Knysna, passing through spectacular bays such as Mossel Bay, which offers some of the best land-based whale –watching in the country between May and December, as southern right, humpback and killer whales join the notorious great white shark to hunt for prey around Seal Island. The lagoons and indigenous forests set on the green hillsides of the Garden Route not only provide some stunning scenery but they are also home to some great forest trails to explore.

Oudtshoorn set in the Klein Karoo is famous for the Cango Caves, one of the world’s true natural wonders. These caves have been sculpted through the ages with some stunning limestone formations to create a unique and vast subterranean complex, fully lit to bring out the kaleidoscopic colours found on the striking formations.

Less visited, the Wild Coast that stretches up towards KwaZulu-Natal is one of pristine unexplored beaches and tropical forests and yet another area of natural beauty to explore.